1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pallet for use with a hand truck with the pallet having a non-skid upper surface and legs that will not scuff a floor's surface.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Soda, beer, canned goods, fruit, and other similar products are generally shipped to retailers in cases or crates. A typical method of delivery will be to load the cases onto a truck, ship them to the retailer, unload the truck, move the cases via a hand truck inside, and stack and store the cases. This is a straightforward procedure. However, several problems can occur along the way.
When the cases are unloaded from the delivery truck, they are sometimes placed on the pavement outside the retailer's delivery door before being moved inside. When so placed, the cases come in contact with dirt, oil and other debris on the pavement. The cases are then taken inside complete with the newly gained contaminants. Furthermore, cases stacked on the floor inside will tend to absorb spills that are subsequently occasioned.
These contaminants cause several problems. Oil and water contamination will weaken the case. When an employee lifts a case, the bottom will give out resulting in a mess. Adding to the mess will be the oil deposited on the floor where the cases are stacked and then removed. This oil will contaminate subsequent cases that are stored there. As cases are rotated from bottom to top, the contaminated bottom surface of the top cases will contaminate those cases below upon which they are stacked upon.
This case and floor contamination will be passed on to the products within the case. Fruits and vegetables so contaminated, will need to be disposed of. Bottles and cans will be unsightly and will drive customers away. Also oil in the back room will pose a slip and fall potential for employees.
A secondary problem associated with the movement of cases and crates is experienced when the cases are moved by the hand truck. In order to slip a hand truck underneath a stack of cases, the stack must be tilted. As one person is tilting the stack and maneuvering the hand truck, the potential to tilt the stack too far exists. Tilting the stack too far will not only cause a case spill but may result in injury to the hand truck user. A second person is needed in order to make the operation safe, however, a second person is not always to be found.
What is needed is a device that will prevent cases and crates from becoming dirty from ground contaminants during the shipping process. This device must also be able to store the cases and protect them from spills inside the storage room. The device must provide a single user the ability to safely lift cases by a hand truck.
Towards these ends, a pallet for use with a hand truck is proposed. Although pallets for fork lift use are well known in the art, hand truck pallets, as proposed by the present invention, are a new entry.